New healthcare security and privacy certification from (ISC)2

(ISC)2 has launched a new certification, the HealthCare Information Security and Privacy Practitioner (HCISPPSM), the first foundational global standard for assessing both information security and privacy expertise within the healthcare industry.

The credential is designed to provide healthcare employers and those in the industry with validation that a healthcare security and privacy practitioner has the core level of knowledge and expertise required by the industry to address specific security concerns.

As with all its credentials, (ISC)2 conducted a job task analysis (JTA) study to determine the scope and content of the HCISPP credential programme. Subject matter experts from the (ISC)2 membership and other industry luminaires from organisations in Europe, Hong Kong, and the United States attended several exam development workshops and contributed to develop the Common Body of Knowledge (CBK) that serves as the foundation for the credential.

The HCISPP is a demonstration of knowledge by security and privacy practitioners regarding the proper controls to protect the privacy and security of sensitive patient health information as well as their commitment to the healthcare privacy profession.

It is a foundational credential that reflects internationally accepted standards of practice for healthcare information security and privacy. For executives accountable for protecting sensitive healthcare data, HCISPP demonstrates a proactive commitment to ensuring an organisation is making the necessary human resources investment in information security.

To attain the HCISPP, applicants must have a minimum of two years of experience in one knowledge area of the credential that includes security, compliance and privacy. Legal experience may be substituted for compliance and information management experience may be substituted for privacy. One of the two years of experience must be in the healthcare industry.

All candidates must be able to demonstrate competencies in each of the following six CBK domains in order to achieve HCISPP:

• Healthcare Industry
• Regulatory Environment
• Privacy and Security in Healthcare
• Information Governance and Risk Management
• Information Risk Assessment
• Third Party Risk Management.